Product Description

Discover Cambodia

Sunrise or sunset? Discover the perfect light to greet the 216 faces of Angkor's Bayon temple
Pound, whisk and sizzle your way through a cooking course in Siem Reap (and don't skimp on the fermented fish paste)
Detour off the temple trail for snorkelling and sunset cocktails on Serendipity Beach
Feel the buzz in Phnom Penh: from bustling backstreets to relaxed riverside bars

In This Guide:

Unmatched off-the-beaten-track coverage: from jungles in the southwest to remote mountains in the north
Includes information on the best ecotourism and community-run projects in the country
Visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveller insights

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23306 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 374 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781741043174
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
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From the Publisher
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What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Cambodia is back on the map! The word is out, Cambodia is the place to be in Asia right now and no longer a country where visitors need fear tread. Peace has come to this beautiful yet blighted land after three decades of civil war and the Cambodian people are opening their arms to the world. Now is the perfect time to witness this rebirth of a nation before it becomes just another stop on the tourist merry-go-round.

For far too long, war combined with a vast communist-inspired 'experiment' removed Cambodia from the tourist map. The very word Cambodia came to be associated with atrocities, poverty and refugees. The tragedy of it all belonged to the Cambodians themselves, but is was also a great loss to travelers in Asia.

During much of the 1990s Cambodia remained a difficult country in which to travel due to the presence of Khmer Rouge guerrillas in many provinces. If that wasn't enough to scare people away, then the politicians in Phnom Penh usually managed to cook up a crisis that would deter those contemplating a fleeting visit. However, the long and bloody civil war is definitely over and the Khmer Rouge is no longer terrorizing the people of Cambodia. This is good news, not just for the country's stoical people, but also for tourists planning a trip to Cambodia, as all of the country is open for exploration, most of which could not be visited just a few years ago.

Cambodia lies at the heart of Indochina, bordered by Thailand to the west, Laos and Thailand to the north and Vietnam to the east. It is a fascinating place that, despite its tiny size and large, powerful neighbors, has managed to remain uniquely Khmer. Its cultural traditions have travelled the passage of time, predating those of Thailand, and unlike Vietnam, which was always influenced by China, its dominant influences stem from the Indian subcontinent.

Modern-day Cambodia is the successor-state to the mighty Khmer empire, which during the Angkorian period (9th to 14th centuries AD) was the cultural heartland of Southeast Asia. It ruled over much of what is now Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, and its legacy is one of the wonders of the world. The ruins of Angkor are in a class of their own: there is no other historical site in Southeast Asia that matches their grandeur. The traveler's first glimpse of Angkor Wat, which represents the full flowering of Khmer genius, is a breathtaking experience, matched by only a few places on earth such as the Great Pyramid of Giza or Machu Picchu in Peru.

Cambodia has enormous potential as a travel destination, and investors are moving in with an eye to the day when tourists arrive in the numbers that nearby Thailand enjoys. The land borders with Thailand are now open to foreigners and there are direct flights between Siem Reap and many neighboring capitals. Angkor is once more at the forefront of visitors' minds on a journey to Southeast Asia, as it was before the war cast a shadow over this kingdom. To talk in terms of millions may sound fanciful, but with the temples of Angkor, Cambodia has something unique that none of its neighbors can rival. It also has empty beaches and islands along the south coast, with barely a bungalow in sight, and isolated national parks that are just starting to see the first trickle of visitors. The meandering Mekong River holds the promise of boat trips through Cambodia, north into Laos or south to Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Its mighty waters also provide a habitat for some of the last remaining freshwater dolphins in Asia. In the northeast of the country are wild and mountainous landscapes, home to Cambodia's ethnic minorities and much of the country's diminishing wildlife and forest. Lost in the jungles of the north are countless mysterious temple complexes, forgotten to the world for several long and turbulent decades, offering the visitor the chance to capture the emotions of explorers of old.

Finally there are the people. Cambodians have weathered years of bloodshed, poverty and political instability. Somehow they have come through the experience with smiles still intact. Admittedly Cambodia needs the money that tourism brings, but there is an air of genuine enthusiasm and warmth towards foreign visitors. Nobody comes away from Cambodia without a measure of admiration and affection for the inhabitants of this beautiful yet troubled country.

Customer Reviews

Must Have For Cambodia Trip
I decided to be a little different when I went to Southeast Asia. Instead of taking the Lonely Planet Books which I had done to past trips to China, and England I went with the Rough Guide. What a mistake. Such a mistake that about 1/2 through the trip, somewhere in Thailand I think, I threw the book out and picked up LP guides to Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Cambodia book is great. Great information, easy to follow guides to Angkor what else could you need. LP really tells it as it is. Cambodia is a place changing everyday. Fortunately for the last year or two its been relatively calm and tourist friendly. How long this will last is anyone's guess. I hope stablity have finally come to this country with such a tragic history.

Angkor is a unbelievable place and the LP book will get you through it and teach you a lot.

Get this book before you go!

Necessity for a trip
Planning a trip to Cambodia is not easy. The country is still not very accessible although much has been improved in the past years, in particular available flights.

If you plan to go, read the guide very carefully. It gives you enough background to do it on your own. However, I would still recommend to go for local assistance ( with the exception of Siem Rap when visiting Ankor Wat)

The country is beautiful and the people are very nice. If you have time and sense of adventure it is definitely worth a trip.

Pnom Penh should be the centre of the visit and the guide is at it's most helpful here with good background on the Tol Sluen Prison or the Killing Fields as well as on the nicer things like the Palace and the Silver Pagoda. A tip: try to take a good hotel. PP can be a bit depressing, particularly after a visit to the fields, and also is not a very safe place to go out at night without guide or transport. If you have transport you should eat of course in the Foreign Correspondent Club.

Angkor Wat is a must, although the guide maybe overdoes it a little. I find that you must be a real "culture buff" to use more than one day for a visit. In Siem Rap there is nothing, so don't fall for the trap of a four day visit.

In general, I find the guide giving good information and,as in all the countries here in SE-Asia, if you want to travel alone, you HAVE to take it with you.

I have been in Cambodia now a couple of times and each time I find it a good adventure, not in the least because of the help of this good guide.

You must have if travelling to Cambodia!!! Essential book!!!
Very practical and quite a useful book to have when travelling to Cambodia. I found it useful myself too with information regarding Cambodian history, past, present and maybe the future of the country's outcome having came out of the shadows of the Killing Fields. The book covers everything you need to know about travelling to Cambodia. The best place to eat and what are the popular sites to visit... in Phnom Penh and the famous jungle ruins of Angkor. This 3rd edition contains wonderful photos of the Khmer people in many aspects... Even though the country had been ravaged by war yet their souls are still proud like before much like their ancestors who built a wonderful civilization that ruled mainland Indo-China. Also there is a page for those who want to learn basic Khmer which is easy and enjoyable...

Now that Cambodia is opening up the outside world the book gets a little bit thicker which I find is interesting since now there are many areas to visit in Cambodia like the hill tribes living in east of Cambodia and also the temple of Preah Vihear in the north of Cambodia which sits on the Dangrek mountain range overlooking Thailand. Great book to have and I hope soon in the next edition more information will be added. Don't travel to Cambodia without one!!!